Section 36

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Section 36: Identification of criminals; furnishing of information to other departments and states

Section 36. The colonel shall provide within the department for receiving, arranging and keeping proper means for the identification of criminals and for the furnishing of means of identification of criminals to police departments of cities and towns, to the department of correction, to any sheriff's department, to the parole board and to prosecuting officers within the commonwealth. He may in his discretion furnish means of identification of criminals to proper officers in other states and in foreign countries. He may secure means of identification including measurements, photographs, fingerprints and other means, so that known criminals may be identified in the commonwealth. The colonel shall, on his own initiative, or upon request of the chief police officer of any city or town, sheriff, commissioner of correction, chairman of the parole board, or of any district attorney within the commonwealth, furnish to such chief police officer, sheriff, commissioner, chairman or district attorney such information as he has in his possession which may tend to assist in the identification of or apprehension of criminals. Systems operated by the department of criminal justice information services, pursuant to sections one hundred and sixty-seven to one hundred and seventy-eight, inclusive, of chapter six, may be used for such record keeping purposes provided that such records shall remain subject to the regulations of said board.